Mbanza Congo - The voluntary and organized repatriation process of former Angolan refugees in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), at the level of Zaire province, recorded since last Saturday an interruption, reported, Monday, in Mbanza Congo, a source of the Provincial Directorate of Social Welfare.

According to the provincial director of assistance and social reintegration, Manuel José António, the halt of the repatriation process is due to organizational issues by the government of the DRC authorities.

Mbanza Congo - The second phase of the voluntary and organized repatriation of the Angolan former refugees in DR Congo was resumed on Thursday in the northern Zaire province, with arrival of the ninth train with 185 people, whose process started on 10 November 2014 at the region.

This was said to Angop on Saturday by the Provincial Director for Assistance and Social Reinsertion in Zaire, Manuel José António.

Luanda - A tripartite accord involving Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia was signed recently to enable the return or legalisation of Angolan refugees resident in the above mentioned neighbouring countries.

The information was released on Thursday in Luanda by the Angolan Foreign minister, Georges Chikoti.

The minister was speaking to MPs during a session of the National Assembly (Parliament) on the State Budget for 2015, stressing the existence of three classes of citizens in those countries. They are refugee, resident and illegal.

Mbanza Congo - At least 220 Angolan former refugees in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) returned Monday to the country under the voluntary organized repatriation process underway in the country.

A group of 54 families, Angolan citizens from the Lower Congo Democratic region returned to Angola through the land border of Luvo and are camped in the shelter in Kinzau, 15 kilometers north off city of Mbanza Congo.

Uige - At least 505 former Angolan refugees in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) returned home on Tuesday through the Kimbata border post in Maquela do Zombo municipality, some 310 kilometres north of Uige city.

This is part of the programme of repatriation going on since August this year.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) official, Bernardo Pacavira, told Angop that of the 526 who were expected to return to Angola on the 11th convoy of DRC returnees, 17 were denied due to questionable documentation, while four just missed.

Luanda - The minister of Social Welfare, João Baptista Kussumua, Tuesday in Luanda said that from nearly 29,000 Angolan refugees in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with intention to return to Angola, 4,222 are already in the country.

The Cabinet minister made this statement to the press at the end of the 7th Ordinary Session of the Commission on Social Policy of the Council of Ministers, which presented the report-opinion on the latest developments of the operation of voluntary repatriation of former Angolan refugees who are still in DRC.

Luau - Technical, logistical, accommodation and human conditions have been put in place in eastern Moxico province to receive more than eight thousand ex-refugees returning from the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The information was released by a source from the Ministry of Social Welfare in Moxico, stating that the operation is part of the organised and volunteer repatriation of Angolan refugees going until December this year.

Lubango - At least 177 former refugee families from neighbouring Namibia, Zambia and DRC have been resettled over the last 16 months in their areas of origin, announced the provincial Department of Social Welfare (Minars) in southern Huila province.

The process is part of the ongoing reintegration programme of the former refugees.

The data were released Friday by the representative of the UN body in the country, Hans Lunshop, while speaking to Angop in Luanda on "Social reintegration of the former refugees returned to the country."

Hans Lunshop mentioned Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Namibia and South Africa as the main host and from where the repatriation operations took place after the achievement of peace in 2002.

He said that most of former refugees came from DRC, approximately 70,000 people, followed by Zambia with 20, 000.

Luanda - The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) will make available this year 1.7 million US dollars to support the transportation of Angolan refugees in D.R Congo and Zambia to their areas of origin.

A press note from the mentioned institution, which reached ANGOP on Tuesday, states that the resources are part of the initiative of the UNHCR dubbed “Seeds for Solutions”.

Luena - More than 26,000 Angolan refugees living in neighbouring countries for the last 30 years have expressed the wish to return home until the end of this year, under the process of voluntary repatriation jointly organised by the Government and its international partners.

The information was confirmed by the representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Hans Lunshof, during the arrival of the first group of Angolan refugees from Zambia.

Kinshasa – An Angolan multi-sector delegation comprising experts from the ministries of Social Welfare, Foreign Affairs and Territory Administration, is visiting the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.

For two days, both countries and UN High Commissioner for Refugees’ experts analysed the return to Angola or reintegration in the DRC society of Angolan refugees, under a process that is being discussed during a ministerial meeting taking place Thursday in the Congolese capital, Kinshasa.

Uige - At least 6,137 Angolan refugees in DR Congo returned home until June 22, through the border post of Quimbata, municipality of Maquela do Zombo, Uige, as part of the voluntary repatriation process carried out since 1 May, by the government and its partners UNHCR and IOM.

Speaking to ANGOP, the supervisor of the IOM in Maquela do Zombo, Fernando Pacavira, said that from this number of returnees, include 1,750 families, in which 3,068 are women.

Mbanza Kongo - At least 5,923 Angolan citizens that lived as refugees in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) returned to the country since April this year, ANGOP has learnt.

The head of the Provincial Department of Social Reintegration in Mbanza Kongo City, northern Zaire Province, Victor Kusonga, said the citizens came from Luvo border post.

During the repatriation process, he said, the social reintegration department in partnership with the Migration International Organisation held 30 trips in car convoys through Kinshasa and Bas Kongo region.

Uige – At least 544 Angolan refugees returned on Friday from DR Congo (DRC) through the border checkpoint of Quimbata in the northern Uige province, under the voluntary repatriation of Angolan refugees based in the neighbouring country.

This was said Saturday to ANGOP by the supervisor of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in Maquela do Zombo, Fernando Pacavira.

The official said that 450 Angolan refugees arrived on 22 May integrated in 105 families.

Mbanza Congo - At least 246 citizens from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) were repatriated over the last seven days by the Migration and Foreigners Services (SME), in the northern Zaire Province, ANGOP has learnt.

A press note from SME says that 137 of those citizens left the country from Luvo border, in Mbanza Congo and the others by the fluvial post of Kimbumba.

SME also refused the entry of six citizens from the DRC due to lack of documents.

Luena – At least 184 Angolans living in DR Congo as refugees returned Thursday, to the country under the official repatriation programme.

Angop learned that some from of the localities of Catoca, Camassenda and Cahundo, where they lived for over 20 years, have as areas of final destination the municipalities of Cameia (Moxico), Muconda and Saurimo (Lunda Sul), to where they will be transported in the coming days.

In the sheltering centres, the returnees underwent migration procedures, medical examinations and received birth certificates as well as kitchen sets.

Luau – At least 213 Angolans who had taken refuge in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) returned Wednesday in the country after over 30 years in the neighbouring country.

After a three-day stay in the reception camp, in Luau district, eastern Moxico province, the returnees will be resettled to their areas of origin.

According to a source from the local department of Social Welfare, 140 people will stay in Luau, 67 chose the north-eastern Lunda Sul province, while another five will go to Luena city (Moxico) and one will be flown to Luanda.